Cherry Blossom 10 Mile: Race Recap

I got up at 6, ate breakfast and headed down to the race start, which was about one mile from my hotel. I was going to wear shorts, but it was about 45 degrees and a little windy outside, so at the last minute I opted for pants. I wore my iFitness belt, which has a bib holder, and my Chica Band in Zebra. I felt like I was heading for a safari.

Like I said before, the race started out packed inside a corral with thousands of other people. I was lucky to be in the RED wave, which was the second wave to go after the elites. This still didn't keep me from avoiding spending what I thought would be my first mile passing people, passing people*...wondering when the crowd will thin out and I could get an even pace going.  It turned out to be never. There were a few people that I kept pace with the entire time; one guy in particular who had Vibrams and a Philadelphia Marathon shirt on (thanks guy!)

Race Start

The course was nice and flat, but it was very windy, which made it harder. I decided to not carry water this time, as I thought that there would be plenty of water stops. What I didn't calculate in was the fact that there would also be thousands of people vying for the same tiny cup of water. I ended up skipping the first one and barely getting a drink at the second one. Note to self: Carry water. Every time. Even if it means carrying it but not drinking it.

10 Mile Race Course

As you can see from the map, the race started and ended at the Washington Monument, and then looped around to the Lincoln before going across the Memorial Bridge. The entire time I was running on the median, trying to pass people. On the bridge there was a concrete sidewalk, but up until then it was grass. I didn't care. I was trying to find my pace.

The rest of the race, I have to admit, was kind of a blur. I remember the shirts of the people near me. Like I said, the Philadelphia guy was near me most of the time. There were also a couple of DC RnR Marathon shirts. I guess I didn't really look around me very much becuase I don't even remember passing the Lincoln memorial, and I passed it twice!

At mile 9 an older gentleman went down hard! Everyone was calling for a medic, waving their arms at passing cars and yelling at onlookers to call 911. It was quite the fiasco. I hope that guy was okay. It was really scary. It made me cry a little to think of a) something scary like that happening to anyone and b) the overwhelming support. Everyone was doing what they could, race times be damned. It was very heartwarming.

After making sure that situation was taken care of, we only had one mile left. It went really fast, since most of the spectators were concentrated near the start/finish line and were cheering for us as we went UPHILL to the finish. I swear, this course was not very hilly at all, but the biggest hill was in the last half mile.

I crossed the finish line feeling good. I probably could have run a little faster, but finding my pace was pretty much impossible. I felt like I was bobbing and weaving the entire time. Afterward, I got the obligatory "I finished" photo (the guy cut off the top of the WA monument though!), grabbed a couple of bottles of water, a banana and a muffin (the only options) and went back to my hotel for a hot shower. I was still pretty cold and walking the mile back to my hotel did little to warm me up.

I have no legs

The funniest part is that I was telling my boyfriend how glad I was that I never had to pee during the race and he said that I could just pee on the grass if I needed to (jokingly, of course). BUT NO. You can't! It says so right in the rules. (click to zoom)

It says, "Please use only the 200 porta-potties to "relieve yourselves" before and after the race. Please do not even think of fouling the Washington Monument Grounds or the National Mall. Violations of this common-sense rule will jeopardize use of the course in the future as well." 

Hey, it doesn't say anything about not peeing on the grass DURING the race.

Here are the numbers. Funny enough, mile 1 was the slowest. Usually it's my fastest mile. Mile 10 was the fastest, which is often the case. I am like a horse to the stables. Plus, I really run it out for the last tenth or twentieth of a mile. 

Mile 1: 7:55
Mile 2: 7:31
Mile 3: 7:28
Mile 4: 7:26
Mile 5: 7:40
Mile 6: 7:30
Mile 7: 7:39
Mile 8: 7:39
Mile 9: 7:31
Mile 10: 7:06

*My Garmin actually measured the course as a little long (10.13 miles). This may or may not have been due to the fact that I went up on the median (grass) quite a few times in the beginning in order to attempt to pass people.

Time: 1:16:13 (a new PR!)
Average: 7:38 pace
Women: 503/9699
Age Group: 113/2220
Overall: Unknown

Don't forget to go over to Jill's to check out the other Fitness Friday posts! 

Have you ever peed in a public place?  Have you ever had to call 911?